Cherry Red
by Shahrezad1
Summary: "He could see his own reflection in the cherry paint, a flustered redhead with glasses slipping down his nose, and wondered at the contrast." AU RedXCricket one-shot, based on a creative writing prompt. :)


Cherry Red

By Shahrezad1

Summary: "He could see his own reflection in the cherry paint, a flustered redhead with glasses slipping down his nose, and wondered at the contrast." AU RedXCricket one-shot, based on a creative writing prompt. :)

Disclaimer: Ruby's car is red, Mother Superior is blue, this rhyme is ridiculous but, hey, you know what, I don't own 'em, so don't sue. ;)

~/~/~

Florescent lighting flickered to life as he flipped the switch, uneasiness eating away at his nerves. It was worse with every step he took, guilt as foreign a feeling as was the worry that he might get caught.

But the only sound he could hear was the jangle of filched keys, the drip of rain as it spilled from the rooftop to gutter a distant splash outside. And his own breathing, heavy and anxious in the stale air.

The garage was a mix of storage overflow and mechanic's workshop, grease-stains permeating the otherwise pristine cement floor. And he knew that her grandmother, Iron Maiden Incarnate that she was, wouldn't have it any other way. Even the stacked boxes were placed with military-like precision, labels lined up as though before a firing squad.

_'Christmas,'_ one shouted within his mind's eye as it ran across the battlefield. _'Old Toys,'_ yelled another. He swallowed harshly at the idea of sharing the same fate, a possibility even should he succeed at his task. But doubt wasn't a helpful emotion at the moment so he set aside for later perusal, and approached the vehicle instead.

To call it a muscle car was a bit of a misnomer, the body of the automobile 'officially' fitting the title but the interior a contrast in soul. It was always a visual surprise, different every time he climbed in, much like its owner.

Classic and solid, fire engine red and ready for anything. Small at first glance, but powerful under the hood.

1966 had been a good year for Pontiacs and it showed in the sleek line of the car, chrome shining and Remington tires a solid presence in the bad lighting. He could see his own reflection in the cherry paint, a flustered redhead with glasses slipping down his nose, and wondered at the contrast.

It was true, he didn't exactly fit the type that usually owned such a vehicle. But he sure knew someone that did.

He eyed the vehicle's single bumper sticker, a faded piece of plastic and ruddy words running to pink, and thought that it was fitting despite the sacrilege of placing such an item on a car like the one before him:

"_Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."_

The letters G, T, and O glowed in his peripheral vision, nearly distracting him from his quest, and the crystal wolf hanging from the rearview mirror frowned at him in disapproval. But Betty Boop, plastered across the plush seating, gave him an inviting smile and so he inserted the key.

He didn't have much time, so he better pick up the pace.

Stumbling into the temple of red that was her unofficial haven, he scrambled for purchase and only half found it, interior dark hardly aided by any exterior light. The scent of _Armor All_ car cleaner was acrid in his nose, mixed with leather and the faintest carpet smell. But that only paused him for a moment and then the search began, fumbling fingers searching for something small and box-like.

The initial result of his search involved a Rubix Cube, not entirely out of character for a lady stuck working closing shifts in a town that died soon after the third bell tolled. The next was a half-finished container of Valentine hearts, most assuredly expired, neither of which were quite what he was searching for.

The box of travel tampons that followed made him recoil slightly, tossing the offending object away with a hearty blush, but what he found next sent a wave of relief through his system. Velvet covered the small container, its topmost edges rounded through the effort of careful machinery. And, much like a clam, its contents were what really mattered.

Feeling a smile spread wide enough to be painful, he brought the object into the light, only to frown. The box wasn't black, like he had expected, but completely white. And a gold label was inlaid on the front of the container, marking a brand name that he couldn't quite make out. When he opened the case, nestled within was a plain, woven band. The metal had been engraved to resemble braided grasses and within the inner circle a single letter had been etched, circle surrounding it. 'A,' it stated with calm confidence.

But…what was this? He wasn't quite sure how to compute the find, mind insisting that her name did not, in fact, begin with that letter. Had someone asked her before him, he wondered with a lance of uncertainty? It was possible, it really was. And the ring really was such a fine piece…

Holding up the jewelry so that it fell within range of the insufficient illumination, he wondered at the craftsmanship built into it. Neither noticing the fact that this brought him into line of sight of the garage's inner door, nor the fact that said door was open, a long-legged brunette making her careful way in.

"Archie, what are you doing in my car?" a clear, bland voice locked him in place. It held all the disapproval of a longtime friend-turned-girlfriend, familiarity breeding a mix of exasperation and affection.

Of its own accord his throat developed a croak, drying like buffalo hide and twice as tough. And then his arched spine fell backward till his feet were once again planted on the ground. But he couldn't quite peel himself from the car's seating, Bettie Boop eying the two of them as though waiting for a catastrophe to occur.

Peering through the passenger-side window at the girl that he'd given his heart to, he scanned her for clues as to her thoughts, noting in the process certain 'tells' of hers. The trademark red stilettos were planted far from one another and the left was tapping, for one. And, trailing his eyes up her long, cat-like form, he noted the planted hands on hips. Her outfit of leather jacket and short crimson skirt said 'night out on the town,' but her curiously flat expression said the opposite, green eyes half-lidded and lips turned down on one end.

"J-just looking," he began, voice fissuring much like the Grand Canyon. A conveniently-timed clearing of his throat resulted in some moisture, but only just, and with no measure of surprise at all he could feel the flush of heat begin to spread from his ears to throat and on up to pale cheeks.

"For what?" she prompted carefully, face and tone a mask.

"Something that f-fell out of my p-pocket. That's all!" he hastened to assure her. But his response was too quick, too flippant, and with a decided snap she set her toe down and began bridging the distance.

"Really, Archie? Something that just _happened_ to _fall out of your pocket_, was it?"

He nodded frantically, trying to shove the small box in his jeans and failing from his seated, anxious position within the coupe. Soon she was upon him, however, and with all the coolness of a woman who knows that something's up she reached over the open door in order to roll down the window. Then Ruby merely leaned in, eyebrows lifted as she blandly waited for a confession.

He felt akin to a child caught with crumbs all over its face, and couldn't help the jitteriness which followed her pointed stare.

"And what _did_ you find, Archie? Instead of the item you were looking for."

Opening his mouth in another frail defense, the man paused a moment at her choice in words. There was something…_off_, there. But Ruby merely waited, dark brown hair falling about her shoulders and neck as her darkly outlined eyes widened as though they were in a cat and mouse stand-off. Warily, he withdrew the box.

Feeling like a gunfighter at dawn, he waited for her reaction, but didn't expect the chortle that followed.

"Oh, that!" she said, smiled wryly, "that's nothing."

He could only splutter a bit as she casually opened the case and withdrew the ring, its molded circle obviously too large for her to wear as she held it up for a second and then placed it back within his palm. But he didn't notice that detail, anxious enough as he was.

"What do you mean, it's 'nothing'? It certainly looks like 'something' to me, I-."

Archie's frantic rambling came to a halt as she pressed one finger to his lips, stilling them. And from his awkward view her lacquered nails looked just as red as her car.

"This was for if you never got up the guts to actually ask me," she remarked idly.

His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, "…ask you what?"

"This," and then she pulled _his_ box into view, the cover dented and careworn as though extracted from somewhere difficult to reach.

The hinges protested as she flipped the container open and, looking much like a fish, the man watched as she plucked the ring therein from its perch then slid it down to rest on the second to last finger of her left hand.

"I do, by the way," Ruby said with all the casualness of someone discussing breakfast, then seemed to notice his dumbfounded confusion and turned to clarify, "want to marry you, I mean. Because this better not be for anyone else."

"N-no! Of course not!" he was quick to promise before anything else processed, "y-you mean…you really do?"

The aloof, cool facade that others saw softened as she pocketed her box and took one of his limp hands in hers, gripping it just short of biting, "of course, Archie. Why else did you think I bought the other ring?"

Blinking at the logic in that, his brain finally caught up, connecting his find with hers.

"Oh! OH!" the anxiety that he had been feeling dissipated, leaving only a bubbling sort of happiness.

Her shrug was elegant, a rolling of waves with a Selkie's gaze, "now we just have to tell my grandmother."

Archie's stomach roiled with the thought and for a moment he seriously pondered being sick.

~/~/~

The school-based prompt for this was describing an environment based on the senses, a bumper sticker, then describing the car present, three regular objects found in the car and a fourth, unexpected one (I chose a lot more than three, obviously), and then describing the owner and having the two characters interact. It needed to be 1,500+ and I ended up with about 1,700+. :) Yay for homework that you actually enjoy!


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